The developer donation agreement tied to the proposed LaFox/Hampton Hills development has become final and is now incorporated into the village's annexation agreement, Superintendent Andy Barrett told the Geneva School District 304 board on Sept. 8.

Barrett said the board had approved the developer donation agreement at a special meeting in August and the developer has now signed it. "Our board approved that. The developer has officially signed off on that. And the village of Hampton Hills has also officially, officially, signed off on that developer donation agreement," Barrett said. He added that the village held a public hearing and voted 5-1 in favor of annexation.

The nut graf: because the developer donation agreement is included in the annexation agreement, Barrett said the document is legally binding and specifies parcel layouts, lot sizes, unit counts and open-space provisions. Barrett told the board the annexation agreement also discusses possible future financial mechanisms, including a potential tax-increment financing (TIF) district; the district's developer agreement includes language to provide payments to the district tied to students or to units should a TIF be established.

District planning implications: Barrett said board staff will incorporate the potential redevelopment into updated demographic and capacity analyses this fall. He noted the strategic plan's enrollment-and-rightsizing work will now consider the development's potential impact; Barrett said the development could include about 900 homes in the west part of the district and that the district will update demographic models and return to the board with preliminary findings and recommendations for next steps.

Open-space question: Board members asked whether open land included in the annexation could remain open space or be developed later. Barrett said the annexation labels certain areas as open space but that ownership could change; he added there are parties, including a local forest preserve, that have expressed intent to preserve parcels. Board member Jackie Forbes later said the Kane County Forest Preserve Commission was scheduled to vote the next day on purchasing some parcels tied to the project.

Why it matters: A large development west of Geneva would affect future enrollment, capacity planning and district finances if additional students are generated. Barrett said the district's developer donation agreement contains per-home payments and TIF-related protections that would provide funding to the district if additional units are built or a TIF is established.

Ending: Barrett told the board the timeline for further village approvals and any TIF discussion will likely take months; the district will continue updating demographics and bring capacity analysis findings to public meetings this fall.